Hayden moving out of Vicki’s shadow

It seems that he can, judging from his impressive performance as a singer last year on the GMA “talent” search Celebrity Duets (won by Tessa Prieto-Valdes), his first full-length TV exposure (not counting the guestings) and, as an actor, in the GMA primetime series Marimar (with Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes) and Kim Sam Soon (with Regine Velasquez and Mark Anthony Fernandez). There’s a report that ABS-CBN is “interested” in getting Hayden as one of Judy Ann Santos’ leading men in her forthcoming teleserye but no, thank you, Hayden’s loyalty is with GMA, specifically to Wilma Galvante (the station’s senior vice president for Entertainment TV) who gave him his breaks.

On leave from “doctoring” (although he continues with his duties as marketing director of The Belo Medical Clinic), Hayden has been “showbiz na showbiz” even before he embarked on a singing-acting career because of his association with his beloved Vicki (who is 20-plus years his senior).

“It’s my own decision to go full blast into showbiz,” said Hayden in an interview yesterday noon at the Fleur-de-Lis coffee shop located right beside the Belo Clinic on Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City, which was the eye of a “hopeless” controversy two years ago. “I’m giving myself three years. But still, I can’t help attending to my patients every now and then because they keep looking for me.”

In fact, in-between showbiz stints, Hayden, who obtained a medical degree from UST (he was once a Mr. UST), is finishing his diplomate and has been to Paris and Greece for his training in the latest anti-aging treatments. Even when he was a student, showbiz was hounding Hayden who started as a ramp model for Pitoy Moreno and has walked the ramp in Singapore, Korea, Japan and the US.

Now referred to by fans as “Doc Hayden,” he said he can never give up medicine which is his first love.

“Showbiz has always intrigued me,” he said, “so I want to find out what the fuss is all about.”

His conservative Chinese family is wary about Hayden taking the plunge into the lions’ den and, according to Hayden, they are the ones more affected by the intrigues and tsismis about Hayden and Vicki, such as the recent one about them breaking up after a fight.

“Yes,” admitted Hayden, “we did fight but it was nothing serious.”

No, there was no “third party” involved.

“I felt that I was controlling her and vice-versa, and that was what we argued about. We are just like any couple. We have our differences at nag-aaway din naman kami.”

Their break-up lasted no longer than 24 hours.

“I was so bothered that I couldn’t sleep, so I called her up. It turned out that Vicki was feeling the same way and she was just waiting for my call. That was the first time I ever cried. Basta, naramdaman ko na lang na tumutulo na ang luha ko. I realized that I couldn’t live without her, and maybe she did, too.”

Like teenagers in the heat of first love, they kissed and made up, as if nothing happened.

Asked if he ever gets tempted by the beautiful girls around him, he being considered a “prize catch,” Hayden said that his “wild days” are over and he has only eyes for “my Vicki” now.

“We are both lucky to have each other,” he added.

Asked if he’s faithful, Hayden said, “Yes, of course!”

They say that if Vicki comes (no other meaning intended, honest!), can Hayden be far behind? And vice-versa?

“That’s why I decided to go into showbiz to prove that I can make it on my own.”